Reviews issues surrounding adoption as an option for resolving teen crisis pregnancies. Examines the decision-making processes and social psychological consequences of adoption as a distinct phenomenon, including adoption rates and characteristics, factors influencing the adoption decision, birth mother response to adoption placement, and social…

Surveyed 416 Nigerian students ages 10 through 16 to examine levels of reproductive health knowledge. Television ranked first as students' sources of information on reproduction, pregnancy, birth control, and AIDS. Older children indicated more knowledge than preteenagers, girls more than boys, and students living in dormitories more than those…

Highlights contemporary sexuality issues that confront children, adolescents, and the adults who care for them. Discusses teenage pregnancy, sexual abuse, HIV/AIDS, sexual orientation, and sexual harassment. States that schools and treatment programs have an important role in sexuality education and that the costs of neglecting that role is high…

Adolescent pregnancy is a challenge for teens and their families as well as for service providers, social scientists, and legislators. A cost-effective "solution" that consistently demonstrates its effectiveness in reducing unwed pregnancy has not been found. Three related articles (this issue) are discussed; issues for clinicians and researchers,…

The Safer Choices program, being tested in Texas and California, is a multicomponent program to change behaviors which lead to infection with HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy. Components include a School Health Promotion Council, curriculum and staff development activities, school environment activities implemented by peer…

Used recent longitudinal cohort of eighth graders to examine whether measures of school engagement predicted school-age pregnancy among white, black, and Hispanic teens. Found that high student engagement was associated with postponing pregnancy. Among white and Hispanic teens, dropouts were more likely than others to have school-age pregnancies.…

This article reports on data collected as part of a four-phase study initiated to strengthen practice in the field of smoking cessation during pregnancy. It focuses on the perceived support pregnant smokers would receive for quitting smoking and how this support could be effectively used by incorporating the education of partners/family in smoking…

Many pregnant adolescents remain in school, creating unique challenges for professionals to meet their educational and health needs. In this descriptive pilot study of pregnant adolescents (n = 26), 68% demonstrated symptoms of depression as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). In addition, there was an…

Newborn screening for fragile X syndrome (FXS) is technically possible, and in the relatively near future accurate and inexpensive screening technologies are likely to be available. When that happens, will America's public health system adopt newborn screening for fragile X syndrome? This article addresses this issue by first placing screening for…

The UK has the highest rate of cannabis use among young people worldwide. Dr. Alan Leshner, Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse reports, "Every year more than 100,000 people, most of them adolescents, seek treatment for their inability to control their marijuana use." According to the Scottish Drug Misuse Statistics in…

This article describes the Ounce of Prevention Fund's journey to institutionalize doula services in the state of Illinois. The Ounce's doulas help strengthen the new relationship between mother and child by working with the mother to help her better understand and anticipate the progression of the third trimester of pregnancy, the child-birthing…

Objective: Although not every woman is negatively affected by an abortion, researchers have identified a subgroup of women susceptible to grief and trauma. The primary providers for postabortion grief (PAG) groups are community faith-based agencies. Principle features of PAG are shame and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Method:…

How do young people conceptualise "effective" sexuality education? This paper explores 16-year-old to 19-year-old New Zealanders' vision of effective sexuality education as it emerges in answers to a survey question about improving programmes at secondary school. Young people's responses suggest that their view of what makes sexuality…

The impact of postnatal depression on a child's risk for violent behavior was evaluated in an urban British community sample (N=122 families). Mothers were interviewed during pregnancy, at 3 months postpartum, and when the child was 1, 4, and 11 years of age. Mothers, teachers, and children reported on violent symptoms at age 11. Structural…

The Enhancing Patient Prenatal Education study tested the feasibility and educational impact of an interactive program for patient prenatal genetic screening and testing education. Patients at two private practices and one public health clinic participated (N = 207). The program collected knowledge and measures of anxiety before and after use of…